Guarding the safety of a nation's food supply, ensuring quality, and providing information to consumers so that they can make informed food purchase choices are widely accepted as universal obligations of governments. But differences in the way that governments fulfill these obligations can lead to trade conflicts. The potential for such conflicts increases as more affluent and safety-conscious...

Despite substantial transformations in American agriculture, farm programme spending remains a closely guarded prerogative of United States agricultural policy. This work examines the history of farm subsidies and the relevance of traditional farm programmes to today's agricultural industries.